Liquid-storage tank



J. H. WIGGINS LIQUID STORAGE TANK Original Filed Feb. l5. 1926 Feb. 21, 1928.

/NViA/TOE: JOHN l/V/GG/MS.

Patented Feb. 21, 1928. i

UNITED STATES JoHN ii. WIGGINs, or BAB'rLEsvILLE, OKLAHOMA LIQUID-STORAGE TANK.

Original application filed February 15, 1926, Serial No. 88,308. Divided and this application led November 20, 1,926.

This application is a division of my pending application for patent Serial No. 88,308,

for liquid storage tank, filed February 15,

1926, and relates to tanks of the type that comprise a floating decker roof supported by the liquid in the tank and' provided at its peripheral edge with a sealing means that slides over the inner surface of the side wall of the tank when the deckl rises and falls,

due to variations in the level of the liquid in the tank. l

The side walls of liquid storage tanks of the general type above mentioned are usually made up of metal plates whose horizontal edge portions are lapped and rivetedy toy gether, and considerable trouble has resulted from the sealing means at the peripheral edge of the deck catching on the horizontal edges of the plates and on the heads of the rivets in the side wall when the deck rises.

and falls, due to variations in the liquid level. The object of my invention is to provide a liquid storage tank of the general type mentioned which is so constructed that the sealing means at t-he peripheral edge of the oating deck will be sure to slide freely over the inner surface of the side wall of the tank when the deck rises and falls.

Figure l of the drawings is a vertical transverse sectional view of aliquid storage tank constructed in accordance with my invention, `showing the floating deck or roof partly broken away so as to more clearly illustrate the construction of saine.

Figure 2 is an enlarged top plan view of a portion of the sealing means at the peripheral edge of the deck, showing the rubbing bars on the side wall of the tank in cross section. f 4.0 Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view, illustrating how the rubbing bars on the side wall of the tank prevent the sealing means at the peripheral edge of the deck from catching on the horizontal edges of the plates and on the-heads of the rivets in the side wall; and

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view, illustrating another means that can be usedr to insure the sealing means 0f the deck sliding freely over the inner face of the side wall of the tank.

Referring to the drawings which illusvp trate the preferred form of my invention,

A designates the side wall of the tank, which Serial No. 149,635.

is of circular shape in outline and iijiade up of metal Aplates a whose horizontal edge portionsare lapped and connected together.' usually by rivets, and B designates the floating deck or roof of the tank which normally rests upon and is supported by the liquid 1n the tank. The deck B is of less diameter than the side wall of the tank, and the aunular space between the peripheral edge of said deckland the side wall of the tank' is closed by a sealing means of any preferred type' of construction, but which is herein illustrated as being composed of segmental shoe members C supported by swinging links or hangers D, carried by the deck and aexible closure E, usually formed of a gastight fabric, 'attached to the upper edges of the tshoe ineiper C and to a rim F that projec s upwar y roin the eri heral ed e of the deck B, as shown inorelealy in F igure 3, the adjacent/ends of the shoe meinbers C being joined together by flexible elements G, which are usually formed from piecs of vgas-tight fabric, as shown in Figure When the level of the liquid in the tank varies, the deck B rises and falls, and in order to insure the shoe members- C sliding freely over the inner face of the side wall A of the tank, I v rovide said side wall with a means that e ectively prevents said shoe members from catching on the horizontal edges of the plates a, or on the heads of the rivets 1 in said side Wall. Usually, said means will be formed from continuous, vertically-disposed rubbing bars H on the inner surface 0f the side wall A ofthe tank that bridge the horizontal joints in said side wall, as shown in Figure 3, and thus insure the shoe members C sliding over said joints and over the rivets l in same, without, liability of catching, sticking or in any way interfering with'the rise and fall of the deck B. It is not essential, however, lthat said means consist of continuous rubbing bars H, for if desired, short rubbing bars H provided with beveled ends can be arranged over the horizontal joints in the side wall of the tank, as shown in Figure 4. By constructing the tank in this manner I correct or overcome a thing which heretofore has been .a serious roblem in oil storage tanks of the type in which the upper end of the tank is closed by a floating deck or roof provided at its peripheral edge vwith a sealing means that is adapted to slide over the innersurface of the side wall of the tank.

The deck is provided with a drainagen bottom of the tank and Will uncoil when said v deck rises or moves upward] Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: i I

1. A liquid storage tank provided with a floating deck or roof that is normally supported by the liquid in the tank, a sealing means carried by said deck that acts upon the side Wall of the tank, and means on said side wall for insuring said sealing means sliding freel over the inner face of said side wall when t e deck rises and falls.

2. A tank for storing liquids provided erably4 at with a. side wall made up of plates connected together by horlzontal oints, a ioating deck lor roof surported by t e liquid in the tank and provi ed with a sealing-means that is adapted to act 0n the sidewall of the tank, and'means for insurin said sealin 4means ridmg freely over the ]oints in the 'side wall of the tank. y v

3. A tank for holdin liquids havin a side -wall'v provided wit horizontall ldisposed oints, a floating deck or roof t at is norma ly supported by the liquid in the tank,

and devices on the lnner face of the side wall of the tank that bridge the joints in said side wall, and thus insure the sealin means on the deck sliding freely over sai side wall when the deck rlses and falls, due to vl'ariations inthe level'of the liquid in the tan 4. A liquid storage tank provided with a I floating deck or roof that is normally supported b the liquid in the tank, shoe members at the peripheral edge of the deck that slide over the inner face of the side Wall of the tank, and vertically-disposed rubbing bars'on the inner face of said side wall which prevent said shoe members from catching on projections on said side wall.

JOHN H. WIGGINs 

